Self-Defense in Mexico

“[A] just testament to the struggle of so many poor, marginalized Mexicans to defend themselves, their families, and their communities from the violent oppression not just of so-called narcos, but of a corrupted and corrupting state.”—H-LatAm

“One of the most famous journalists in Mexico and the lead writer for the daily newspaper La Jornada, Luis Hernandez Navarro offers a complex [portrait] of civilian self-defense groups. While he treats the subject with a critical eye, Hernandez Navarro’s basic sympathy is nonetheless clear: it lies with the often indigenous or poor protagonist, who seems to have no viable options other than participating in self-defense.”—Manuel Burkhardt, Latin American News

“Hernández-Navarro’s beautifully written book stands out for centering the voices of people in ways that illuminate their dignity, endurance, and resilience. Explaining a range of responses to the insecurity Mexicans experience in their daily lives, this work will resonate with readers thinking about geographies of policing, social movements, activism, and liberation struggles.”—Altha J. Cravey, author of Women and Work in Mexico’s Maquiladoras

“The most comprehensive, timely, and successful journalistic investigation on a subject that has acquired great notoriety in Mexico. . . . a work of the first order.”—Gilberto Lopez y Rivas, Autonomias: Democracia o contrainsurgencia